Youth Empowerment Toolkit

Dover Youth to Youth, who provides technical assistance to all of the One Voice Y2Y chapters, created a toolkit designed to help teams get started. The toolkits are being replicated and sold for $600. Below is a full description of the toolkit, its structure and what it includes.

Questions about purchasing the toolkit should be directed to Dana Mitchell at d.mitchell@dover.nh.gov or 603.516.3274.

Dover Youth to Youth designed the toolkit to be very “hands-on” and practical. The frame of reference of the toolkit presumes that there will be a youth empowerment group or organization. It was prepared with the idea that the user may be inexperienced in coordinating a youth empowerment group. We have also insured it is useful to someone who is more experienced in working with youth and hopefully provides ideas and inspiration to existing groups.

Once you have decided you wish to engage youth and provide the opportunity for them to participate in solving problems – the next question often becomes: “Where do I begin?”

Part I: Getting Started – Contains any module that is associated with getting your youth empowerment group organized, staffed or funded. It also includes any administrative functions, such as liability waivers, training staff and recruiting students, setting goals and planning a meeting.

Another early question is: “What can the group do and how do they do it?”

Part II: Training Student Members of Your Group – Guides the user in training students and contains modules that assist in the preparation of the students who have joined your group to take action. These modules provide the students with either:

• The needed background knowledge on an issue (such as Module 2A: The Alcohol Background You Need), or

• The skills needed to take action in the community (such as Module 2B: Presentation Skills or Module 2C Media Production).

Part III: Taking Action – Explains many of the types of action projects that can be undertaken by youth. Each action project is described in a separate module that includes step-by-step instructions, supporting information, and samples of work product that will help aid replication. This toolkit does not contain an exhaustive list of every possible action that a youth group could take, but it does include many examples in common areas of advocacy (media, education, and community awareness).

Part IV: Evaluation – This section of the toolkit is under construction will provide information and direction on evaluating the effectiveness of youth empowerment initiatives.

THE CONTENTS OF THE TOOLKIT ARE ORGANIZED AS FOLLOWS:

• Four sections (Parts I – IV) that contain the actual instruction and tools; and,

• Four appendices (Appendix A – D) that contain references, resources and supporting materials.

Each of the four major Parts of the toolkit includes the following:

• A brief introductory page with a “Table of Contents” for that part of the toolkit followed by:

• A series of one or more modules and supporting materials.

Every module in the toolkit is designed to be a self-contained package that covers how to conduct an activity or put on a training of some type. The Modules contain instruction and hard copy samples of lesson plans, handouts, and other materials. Only electronic files such as PowerPoint and videos are not physically located within the module. All electronic files are contained on CDs or DVDs in Appendix D.